United States

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 30, 2015

Pennsylvania Rep Chaka Fattah is indicted by federal authorities for bribery and misuse of hundreds of thousands of dollars of federal money, along with funds from his campaign and charity he oversaw; also indicted are Fattah's son Chaka Jr, one of his staff members, a lobbyist and two others. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Congressional Memo; both House and Senate have failed to pass long-term bill to provide funds for highway construction, opting instead to pass or take up short-term bills that will continue funding until members of both chambers return from recess; failure points to internal divisions within Republican Party and possible obstacles to passing future legislation for funding of federal government and raising debt ceiling. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

David Brooks Op-Ed column pens letter to Ta-Nehisi Coates author of book Between the World and Me; praises book for its unflinching account of black male experience in America, but questions whether Coates's pessimism about American dream is justified; states nevertheless that book is unforgettable and should be read by every American. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Disclosure report reveals that Sen Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey indicted on federal corruption charges, has received many large donations toward his legal defense fund from prominent pro-Israel billionaires, both Republican and Democrat. MORE

Jul. 14, 2015

Judge Timothy Black finds Michael Hoyt, former Ohio bartender accused of threatening to kill Speaker John A Boehner, not guilty by reason of insanity; sets another hearing to determine whether Hoyt is danger to others. MORE

Jul. 13, 2015

Charles M Blow Op-Ed column examines rising rate of interracial relationships, which constituted some 15 percent of all marriages in 2010; argues that while 'browning' of America represents a beautiful sign of social progress, it also raises question of whether society is merely side-stepping anti-black racism rather than overcoming it. MORE

Jul. 12, 2015

Op-Ed article by Maris Kreizman suggests that current appetite for nostalgia, evidenced by remakes of popular television series from the 1980s and '90s like Full House, is ultimately leading to realization by many people that their affection for those things deserves to stay in past; posits that such reboots should not be made. MORE

Jul. 12, 2015

Teddy Wayne Future Tense column holds that trend of long, personal email correspondence popular in the 1990s has been replaced by communicating via texting and social media. MORE

Jul. 11, 2015

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican from Kentucky, has set himself apart from many in his party with voting record that reflects strong beliefs in civil rights and racial equality. MORE

Jul. 8, 2015

Sen Tim Scott of South Carolina, first black Republican from South elected to Senate, has come to occupy unique position in Republican Party in wake of Charleston, SC, church massacre; has long avoided leveraging his race, instead emphasizing importance of his Christian faith; seems intent on bridging partisan and racial gaps by winning respect among liberal senators and black Democrats. MORE

Jul. 7, 2015

Former Rep Mel Reynolds of Illinois fails to appear at arraignment in Chicago on federal tax evasion charges. MORE

Jul. 1, 2015

Frank Bruni Op-Ed column argues corporations are in many cases proving to be more effective leaders of social change in America than government; points to corporations' strong opposition to 'religious freedom' laws, support for immigration reform and removal of Confederate flag from government buildings; holds corporations must respond to broad, inclusive customer base, while government is often beholden to a few private interests. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

Recreational marijuana use, having been legalized in several states, remains off-limits to employees of federal government; situation points to gulf between what voters will accept and what government allows; many prospective or current federal employees are opting to lie about marijuana use and evade drug tests in order to get or keep jobs. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

David Brooks Op-Ed column suggests to Christian conservatives that in wake of Supreme Court decision affirming same-sex couples' right to marriage, they abandon culture war that has alienated much of country; posits social conservatives are well-equipped to attack problems like lack of stable families in impoverished areas, and should act on those skills rather than continuing to fight battles everyone else has resolved. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Judith Shulevitz Op-Ed article observes trend in which sexual mores in America have become more free, even as people increasingly turn to state to define whether instances of sexual activity are consensual or not; notes that doctrine of affirmative consent is on verge of becoming law of land; examines ways this standard could be problematic. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Ross Douthat Op-Ed column observes that success of same-sex marriage was preceded by weakening of institution of marriage in American society at large; expresses concern that relaxation of marriage's importance augurs society that has greater loneliness and stagnation overall. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

The Upshot; many newly married women are choosing to keep their maiden name because of practicality in an era of social media, and not necessarily to make a feminist statement. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

Changes in attitude and legislation regarding same-sex marriage and gay rights have succeeded in making life more equitable for gays, but some question the loss of identity and uniqueness that binds gay community together; some say they feel twinge of loss amid celebration. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

Ann Carrns Your Money Adviser column highlights survey by American Institute of Certified Public Accountants finding half of American adults put off major life decisions because of financial worries; offers tips for how to build savings and budget for life-changing events like buying a home or getting married. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

The Upshot; study published in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science underscores degree to which racial disparities in United States are caused by so-called neighborhood gap; study used census data and found that white and Asian-American families across nation are much more likely than black families, even those considered middle-class, to live in good neighborhoods. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

Paula Span The New Old Age column; nearly two million Americans over age 65 rarely or never leave their homes, far outnumbering nation's 1.4 million residents in nursing homes; factors ranging from income level, ethnicity, geography and access to help determine whether sick, older adults remain homebound; many insist on remaining in homes that are ill-equipped for their needs. MORE

Jun. 22, 2015

Paul Krugman Op-Ed column observes America remains in shadow of slavery and racial hatred despite radically changing racial views and diminished level of outright, institutional racial oppression; argues massacre in Charleston, SC, shows how dangerous racial divide remains; observes legacy of Civil War and slavery remain powerful sociopolitical forces, and holds racial anxieties are still exploited in order to make working-class whites vote against their own interests. MORE

Jun. 21, 2015

Federal investigation uncovers Chinese cyberattack that infiltrated networks at Office of Personnel Management, allowing hackers to obtain personal data of roughly one million federal employees and contractors; breach went undetected for nearly a year, and turned on hackers' ability to mimic administrative network privileges; inquiry exposes lax security standards and has led Obama administration to begin urgent hunt for similar vulnerabilities. MORE

Jun. 17, 2015

Federal Judge Thomas Durkin approves request by prosecutors to keep secret some evidence against former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, which they say is necessary to protect privacy of third parties and law enforcement interests. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

House Democrats vote down worker assistance program in order to thwart legislation granting president broad trade negotiation powers and possibly obstruct completion of Trans-Pacific Partnership; house Republicans, unable to muster enough support to pass bill without Democrats, pass stand-alone bill granting trade negotiation powers, which cannot go to president since Senate version of bill combines both measures. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

News Analysis; House Democrats' rejection of trade legislation may not impede signing of Trans-Pacific Partnership in long run, but does reveal sharp divide over economic issues within party; decision to vote against bill despite personal appeals by Pres Obama shows that Democratic lawmakers are no longer as willing to back president at expense of their constituents. MORE

Jun. 12, 2015

Federal Judge Thomas M Durkin will continue to preside over case against former House Speaker J Dennis Hastert, saying he believes he can be impartial despite personal connections; prosecutors have filed paperwork indicating that they are willing to have Durkin remain. MORE

Jun. 12, 2015

David Brooks Op-Ed column describes how modern transition from youth to adulthood now takes place between ages of 22 and 30, which is documented in Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa book Aspiring Adults Adrift; suggests that young college graduates should be reassured that this time is just a phase, one that will eventually make them stronger and more sure of their direction in life. MORE

Jun. 11, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Richard Alba observes notion that whites will soon be minority in America is fallacious, and based on outdated racial and ethnic categories; says census data misses preponderance of mixed-race births and mixed-race adults who do not identify as such; notes trends are in line with America's legacy of assimilation, but that society has so far failed to develop language to capture nuanced reality of its racial diversity. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

Former House Speaker J Dennis Hastert pleads not guilty in federal court to charges that he structured cash withdrawals illegally as part of arrangement to pay unidentified person for misconduct and lied to authorities about arrangement; it is Hastert's first public appearance since charges were announced; case has raised questions and allegations of sexual misconduct on Hastert's part. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

Republican Senators host weekly lunches for colleagues on Capitol Hill that reflect cuisine of their home states and provide setting for friendly political and social competition. MORE

Jun. 8, 2015

Charles M Blow Op-Ed column excoriates mythology loaded into stereotype of the black man as inherently prone to abandoning their children and families; argues while statistics showing high percentage of births to single black women are worrisome, they are often represented as reflecting choice, ignoring factors like mass incarceration that has snagged so many young black men, and disproportionate number of early deaths among them. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Documents and emails show former House Speaker J Dennis Hastert became much busier with his consulting and lobbying firm in 2010, traveling worldwide to meet with clients, at about same time, according to federal indictment, he made his first payment to man known as 'Individual A' toward total of $3.5 million; indictment charges Hastert with violating federal bank laws regarding large cash withdrawals. MORE

Jun. 6, 2015

Jolene Burdge says her older brother Stephen Reinboldt was sexually abused by former House Speaker J Dennis Hastert when he was teacher and wrestling coach at high school in Yorkville, Ill, from 1966 to 1981; Reinboldt, who died of AIDS in 1995, was wrestling team's equipment manager; Hastert faces charges of lying to FBI and concealing large cash withdrawals to pay off a former student over decades-old sexual misconduct. MORE

Jun. 6, 2015

The Upshot; observers say charges against former House Speaker J Dennis Hastert, which include lying to FBI and trying to evade reporting requirements of large cash withdrawals from banks, may represent government overreach; federal authorities allege that Hastert was paying hush money for decades-old sexual misconduct, but he has not been charged with sexual abuse or paying money illegally. MORE

Jun. 5, 2015

Obama administration announces what seems to be one of largest breaches of federal employees' data, apparently originating in China; says compromised data, held by Office of Personnel Management, involves at least four million current and former government workers; officials are unsure whether attack is state-sponsored. MORE

Jun. 5, 2015

Op-Ed article by Bryce Covert examines whether presidential victory by Hillary Rodham Clinton would make it easier for women to attain leadership positions; holds that despite much progress, America is still uncomfortable with powerful women; observes women often reach leadership positions in business only in times of turmoil, and are far more likely than men to be forced out when they cannot reverse the disasters they inherit. MORE

Jun. 5, 2015

Pres Obama, pushing Congress to grant him powers to negotiate trade deals, has leaned particularly hard on the 45 members of Congressional Black Caucus; Obama has implied that decision to deny him negotiating leeway, granted to other modern presidents, smacks of racial bias; black legislators are in uncomfortable position of deciding between support for black president and deep pressure from trade unions opposing Trans-Pacific deal. MORE

Jun. 4, 2015

The Upshot; Evenwel v Abbot case, which Supreme Court has agreed to hear, centers on question of whether congressional districts need to have equal numbers of voters or equal populations; outcome of case could determine whether Democrats or Republicans will have added structural advantage in 2016 elections, as equal populations favor Democrats, while equal numbers of eligible voters favor Republicans. MORE

Jun. 3, 2015

Federal Judge Thomas N Durkin delays, without explanation, first court appearance of former House Speaker J Dennis Hastert in wake of his indictment in hush-money case. MORE

Jun. 3, 2015

New York Times/CBS News poll finds deep bipartisan support in American electorate for overhauling financing of political campaigns and for new measure to restrict influence wealthy donors have in politics; significant margin of those polled disagree with argument used by Supreme Court in its Citizens United ruling. MORE

Jun. 2, 2015

The Upshot; share of Democratic women in Congress is nearly 33 percent and continues to rise, while Republican female share has leveled off since reaching 10 percent during mid-2000s; research indicates moderate GOP women are hesitant to run. MORE

Jun. 2, 2015

Former Republican House Speaker J Dennis Hastert is set to make his first court appearance linked to allegations that he agreed to pay $3.5 million to keep an unidentified person silent about misconduct; Hastert has been charged only with evading bank regulations and lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about bank withdrawals in connection with the allegations. MORE

Jun. 2, 2015

David Brooks Op-Ed column warns that current generation of college students is admirably engaged in trying to right historical wrongs like gender and sexual discrimination in way that is bordering on form of zealotry; holds that where students go wrong is in trying to root out and punish incorrect thought, in some cases by targeting college professors who have done nothing more than bring politically incorrect language into public square. MORE

Jun. 1, 2015

Former Republican House Speaker J Dennis Hastert's name is removed from public policy center of his alma mater Wheaton College after his indictment for lying to FBI about bank withdrawals and past sexual misconduct. MORE

May. 31, 2015

Federal law enforcement agents say millions made by former Republican House Speaker J Dennis Hastert during his later years as a lobbyist allowed him to give $3.5 million to former student in exchange for keeping quiet about sexual abuse. MORE

May. 31, 2015

Yorkville Journal; allegations of child and sexual abuse against J Dennis Hastert have deeply shaken his home city of Yorkville, Ill, which identifies deeply with former House speaker, and have left residents questioning what indictment means for them. MORE

May. 31, 2015

Ross Douthat Op-Ed column examines question of whether polygamy will gain more widespread acceptance due to social liberalism's ascendancy, which is evident in attitudes toward same-sex marriage; suggests that while polygamy is unlikely to be legally recognized for some time, it could be accepted eventually with little fanfare. MORE

May. 30, 2015

FBI investigation into former House Speaker J Dennis Hastert shows he was paying former student hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep quiet about sexual abuse by Hastert; Hastert was a high school teacher and coach in Yorkville, Ill, from 1965 to 1981, though it is not clear when abuse occurred; federal prosecutors indict Hastert for making cash withdrawals totaling $1.7 million to evade detection from banks. MORE

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General Information on the United States

Official Name: United States of America
Capital: Washington, D.C. (Current local time)
Government Type: Constitution-based federal republic
Chief of State: Barack Obama, president
Population: 301.1 million
Area: 3.79 million square miles
Languages: English (82.1%), Spanish (10.7%) and more than 38 other languages. Note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii
Literacy: Total population: 99%
GDP Per Capita: $43,800
Year of Independence: 1776
Web site:Usa.gov

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A series of articles by the New York Times correspondent Elisabeth Rosenthal examines the price of medical care in the United States. In each installment, readers were invited to share their perspectives on managing costs and treatment.